DRILLING METHODS USED IN MEXICO

By Ingeniero ABEL DE LA CUEVA,

of the Departamento de Petroleo de la Secretaria de la Economia Nacional.

RESUME

Les procddés de forage emyloyks au Mexique peuGent sc répartir c n d c u z grandes culd-

gories.
Un matériel de dorage P O U T les explorations verticales d u type Rotary, daciien¿enl ti.«ns-
p O T t U b l e el Capable de forer jusqu'd 300 na. d e projondeur. Avec ce malériel, o n emploie ?Ln
carottier pour obtenir ríes échantillons du terrain.
Un outillage poui. lornge inclinc Holary, qui sert surloul POUT le travail d'exploralion,
et peul forer sous u n angle quelconque recoupnnt uinsi ilne Ilanclic J J h S inq,ortanle d e
chaque couche e:. Der mettant a u aéoloaue d'dtBblir nius . facilentent
. d e s corrtlalions fondées
entre les di[férenl& [ormalions. .
Pour les sondes deslinees ù l'exploilalion iusqu'd ces dernières anndes la mdlhode PTd-
férCe e n U r!:ildcatling était le s!jsli:me N Standard
)) >)ou s y s f k n i e au cûhle sou.9 prdlealc
que, avec le Itotary des tro.ces d'liuilr puuvuient &/tapper, qul avec le ays18ttte 11 Standard )i,

auraient Blé facilement, decelées.

cette objeclion a u systeme Rotary a disparu depuis rinlroùiction du carottier el ilc
Itotary a maintenant la préfërence dans les Champs où lee horizons se situent enlre WI el
2.2dít m. de p ~ q o n d e u r ,et en certains cas iusqzc'd 3.1ciU m.
La sonde à carottier procure des échantillons de dimensions apprdciables des [OTmn-
tions traversées. ramenés en surjace o.vec lerlrs in!pï@g?tatiortsL'emploi uuec ce syslèlrie
rl'instruments pzrbec/ior,nés au,gnien/e s o n eificucik! el ccarle [ C U risques d'nccideril.
La lechniqrlr: dont il conuiendrail d e jaire usage pour le foruye ù grande profortrleur est
/,U suii:ante :
AIL lieu d'un t i o l ~cle dimensions couranfrs il faudrait faire un [orage d e diametre plu.
lietit - p a r ezcmyite de 15 c m . - adalAé a une dimenswri t v p e , d u lubuqe .su,[fi,so,nt pour ( ( 4
liroditrtion. U n aurait ainsi l e Ocnkfice de l'economie due a u pelzt diam.e'lre du ITOU el celur
tie ,l'injormation géologique obten,ue en cas d'échec ou d e n o n production.

SUMMARY
T h e drìlliny methods used i n illexico may be classibied i n l u ~ omain groups.
Vertical exploration drllling equipment of the T O ~ U T I type, ~ -- eusil?] imns%ered ann,
capable of drillin:; u p to 3íH~ nielers In d e p t h . A COT^ d r i l i barrel tool is used icith this
e(;itiprnent i n order to obtain sutnples 01 the Jormulion.
f{olary inclined drilling equipment used rnaindy f o r exploralion work, an,d able to drlill
al a n angle, thus cutting a greater section of ench sírata and enabling the geologist to
tv~siLycorrelale lhe different formulions as they erist in the ground.
Iizploitation tlrillhg equipmen¿ rtnlBI recent iJears lhe [ailorite method of the wildcnlleT
ioas the <( Standard 1, O P cab/< lool Pyslem o n ilccoicnt ut l i l e belief /hat [ h e roirsry system
would hide trace.i o/ oil thal under the standard system t c : ~ ~ be l d easily discouered.
This objection of the rotory s!/stem has disnppeared. s i m e the introduction os the core
drill, and t i b e i o t u r ~sysleni i s noto preferred in field i o h i c h horizons are found between'
(i00 and 2.200 meters in deplh, and ,in some Cases up l o 3.100 meters.
l'hc core drill ohlains 1 samples o& t h e formalioia truuersed and brings i t u p with ils
nzlural impre!~nalions.L're n i n s m o n e n t s used i o i l h litis svslenL increase ils efjicienq
and eliminale accidents.
ï'he proper technique --lo De uwed in rlrillinq ni, !ireal (tepllis, should he as Jolloius :
Inslead o[ a regular size hole, a well o[ sniriller diu.rnetcr si~ould De drihlsd, s a y of 15 cms..
U ~ J O T I encountering &nuorable indications, th.e #rill hole should lie enlarged to a standard&d
and propenly lined for production, thus taking uduants,qt~of Ille ecnnonay on a small dia-
meter hole. and the yeotogicnl iniormation oblnined in case 01 failure or non-productzon.

AUSZUG
Die i n dle.ZiliO zur Anwendung gelangenden Böhruerfahren k d n n e n in zwei agrossc
Gruppen eingeleilt werden :
Eine leicht transportierbare Rotary-Einrichtung fiir die senkrechten Rohrungen bis Z Z L
300m Tie[e. Zur Entnahme der Gesíeinsproben werden besondere Bohrer verwendet. Eine
R O t a T y - . 4 ~ s T Ü S t U n g fiir schiefes Bohren, die hauptsächlich Aufschlussarbeiten dient. Man
k a n n nzit ihr unter irgend einem Winkel bohren und auf diese Weise ein grösseres Stück
jeder Schicht durchschneiden, was d e m Geologen ermiiglickt, Zeichtcr Beziehungen zwischen
tien uersckiedenen Formationen zu erkennen.

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 The vai-iuus petroleum zoiies exploited to date in lhe
Republic 01 Mexico are the ïollowing : hlier, in .- the
State ,of 1iiiiiaulipas, (where great quuiitities u,i -
natural gas íiuve beeii found) and Altamira in the sanie
State. Lacalilau, Pánuco, 'ïopila, ,iii the State of Ve-
racruz, of these a r e ïainous hmatlán, Toteco, Zacamix-
tle. 'ïancoco y Tepeziritla, recognized as the Golden-
Lane; Poza Kica arid the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, in
the State of Veracruz ; El Liinun, Lalles in the State
of San Luis Potosi. Various íoriiiations, rich iri natural
gas, have been discovered iri the districts 01 Cuiiiargu
and Hancherias in the State of Taniaulipas and pi.oiiii-
sing indications in El %acate, Municipality uï General
Ijravo, in the State of Nuevo Leon.
Drilling methods may be classified iri twu niuin groups:
1. - Exploration drilling.
II. - Exploitation drilling.
i. - Vertical exploration drilling equipment. - This
is of the Rotary type and light in weight, aiid therelore
can be translerred easily to the various locations, and
is capable oï drilling to depths of YOU meters. Its power
is derived from internal combustion engines using the
su called ïishtail bit for clay and iiiarl, arid the standard
rock bit for liniestone and igneous rocks. ï'his eyuipnient
uses mud as a cooling agent for the drill, which a t the
sanie tinie serves the purpose of lining the walls, pre-
veiiting wasliuuls and the collapse ui the Lvell. .lhis
method is excellent for obtainiiig saiiiples 01 the dillerenl
strata, determining the thickness 01 each of these by
analytical methods. Up to the presenl time, the core
drill has been used exclusively for this purpose. LIy this
method samples are obtained up to tlie length o1 one
m,etar, when the structure of the rock allows it. Fur-
thermore it shows with clearness the inclination uf the
formation and defines the z o n a of contact. us the suriiple
a r e ïully protected and come out intact.
The localization and spacing oí the vertical boririgs
a r e determined by the structurai condil.ioiis, gathered
from the geological samples obtained. 'ïlie caracteristics
>f the subjacent formations a r e gathered, arid lhu liii-
dings a r e later checked u p by deep well drilling.
In zones consisting of many strata, where the sani-
pling of each strata would present difficulties, the dril-
ling may be done at an angle, thus cutting u greater
- dl8
secliuii u ï euch s l i u k ~ . l a k i n g into account the a i g l e
uï the bui.a-liulc, u geulugist iiiuy easily correlate tlie
diïïerent slialu. as h e y exist i11 the grouiid. l h i s systeiii
of boriiig lias beeii successlully used iii Ilie zoiies o1
Altamux., 'larnps., arid ~ l i u p u c t l u , I'aiiucu Uislrict, iii
the State of Veracruz.
Il. - Equipment for drallìng wclls [or ezp1oitatio.n. -
This system of drilling is knuwn a s the Standaxd II or
(I
Cable tool s y s t e m Until recent )-ears i1 \vas the favorite
method 01 the wildcatter or advenlurer. At that tiiiie
the rotary system was considered ineificient because the
sludge piuiuced in the boririg U l J e I I L l i U n would hide
tiaces al oil that under the staridurcl system wuuld be
easily discovered. ' l h i s objectiuii LU llie rutary SJ steli1
h a s disappeared since ttic iritrwiuctiun u€ the core drill.
'The core drill not only ubtiliiis large suniples of the
formation Iraversed, but brings it U ~ J with its natural
irnpregnatiuns.
'ïlie rotary sysiem is now prelerred in fields in which
horizons a r e Io'und between BUU aiid Z.kc)ü nieters i i i
depth, in some cases up to 3.IUU iiieters. i t cotisisis
of a bit, shalted like a11 auger, \\,iiicti advarices by v i i Lue
oî its cuttirig and crusliiiig uctiu~i. 'l'lie bit is cuulcd by
means of \valer, a thin iiiud beiiig produced uridei oye-
rating conditiuiis. 'The sludge bu produced is u misture
of clay and o1 particles u1 r~.~cb. ltiese particles are
easily separated by means of scïeeiiiiig u r settliiig tanks,
or by a coinbination of both. llie di111 s t ~ i i i ,being Iicillow,
permits the circulutiun oi the sludge, M.tiich is appropria-
tely distributed III the face o1 Ille bit. l i i e best iiiutive
power I S steaiii, because of the llexibility uï such ciigines.
Steain engines hiive \he luïtliei, aclvunlage ttiul lliey curi
be used a s brakes u l m i lowering the di.111 sleiiis and
pipe. In isolated places, lio~vever, ihe iiiiei.na1 coiiibus-
liun engiiie iiiay be Itreierrcù. llie Diesel type is orten
chuseri. 'ïlie Iaclc of iiexibilily ut suc11 iiizlcliiiies is CUIW
pensated for by gear Loses, s u c h us are used in auto-
mobiles.
The turn-tables, through \\liich the pu\\cr is applied
to tlie drill, is cuniiected with the irioviiig eiigiiie by
nieans oï gears u r by means oï sprucliet wheels arid
chains. '11-iese rriethuds kiuvl: beeri eliniinated iii the
Siieltiori and Uurcleii Systems III which a propeller shaft
IS used, wliicli actuates through a clutch.
I n equilmieiils used in deep weil drilling (1.ooO t t ~
3.250 meters), the hoist is aiictiured lu the cellar, elinii-
nuting in this iiianiier iiiipacts arid vibratiuiis which
attended the older system of anclioixig the Iiuist to the
legs of the derrick.
-
 Tite hoist is governed by Inenns of a hydraulic brake
oiid IS lit tcd wilh tt shock-ubsoi~bing inecliaiiism whicli
is subiiieIged in a viscose liquid.
Tiie hose which connects l i e sludgc pump with the
(I Kclly II p i n t is made either of rubber, reinforced with
wire, or is u1 steel Inade up of short sections connected
with universal joints.
The excellerice or the rotary systeiri tias been made
possible by the advances made in the manufacture of
alloys which stand enormcius tensions snd stresses. The
hardness of the steeels used in the cutting edges uî the
tools is coiiilmrtiblc! l o that oi lhe dianiond. I;urtherriiure,
the rotai?. system elimiiiates the human factor involved
in the Standard or Cable, tool method. This is made
possible by t l i e iise o î precision instriiments which are
not applicable in tlie oldea system.
Some of the al1j)liances are as follows :
1. The Torque-meter or Torque-gauge. - This men-
sures and registers the loads on the driving engine. The
changes in the formation are, instantly, indicatcd hy
corresponding changes in t l i e load.
2. T h e Clinogrciph. - This instrument measures the
inclination and the direction of the nel1 at any time
íCummunicntion pri.sentée par le rapporteur.)
7 819 -
and at any dcpth and gives u. permanent record of the
inclination and direction of the hole on a chart.
These two jnstruments, combined with the steam
gauge, are the principal tools used by the drilles to
ascertain with accuracy the conditions obtaining in the
well.
'The proper inter]~rcI~t!otiu l the data given by lhese
instruments requires acadeniic training. I ha modern
procedure is totally unlike the guess-work of the older
tloys.
In my opinion tlic technique which should be used iii
wildcatting in zones in n-hicti i t is thought that a produc-
tive horizon will be found only at great depth it as
follows :
Instead of drilling a regular sized hole, a well oí' smal-
ler diameter should be drilled, say of -15 cms. Upon
encountering favorable indications, the drillhole should
bc enlarged to a standard size and properly 1ine.d with
piping. The objection might be raiseci tlial in drilling the
first hole to a n y depth serious cavings arid blowouts
would be encounteaed. Such a possibility, however, is
relatively remote because 01' the smaller diameter oï
the hole, the nature of the sludge and careful inspection
of the samples. Furthermore. a hole oî small diameter
is far more econninical to drill.